Poke ball for gas producers



API 29, 1924. 1,491,795

A. L. GALUSHA, v

POKE BALL FOR GAS PRODUCERS Filed Nov. 28. 1.922

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INVENTOR BY flJ/MW w Patented Apr. 29, i249 ALBERT L. GALUSEA, OF CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY.

POKE BALL FOR GAS ERODUCERS.

Application filed November 28, 1922. Serial No. 603,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. GALUSHA, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Caldwell, in the county of Essex and State of New Jerse have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Poke Balls for Gas Producers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In certain forms of gas producers it is usual to provide a certain number of openings in the top of the fire chamber through which to introduce pokers or rods for stirring up the fuel bed. It is important in all such cases to exclude air and moisture from the fire chamber as they not only result in the combustion of the gas and 'consequent loss, but combining with the sulfur constituents of the fuel produce sulfurous acid which attacks the metal of the conveying pipes, the scrubber and other parts, requiring their renewal or repair.

The poke openings have heretofore been closed by covers, caps of various kinds or metal balls, but these only lessen without removing the objections due to the access of air and moisture, besides which, on the occurrence of sudden pressure within the fire chamber, they are likely to become displaced, leaving the poke holes entirely open. To overcome these objections I have used in gas producers constructed by me metal balls held in place over the poke holes of detachable caps and provided with holes diametrically through them, through which a rod could be passed into the fuel bed. As the balls were held loosely in place they could be turned by these rods to enable considerable regions of the fuel bed to be reached and stirred, and then when the stirring rods were withdrawn, could be turned so as to completely close the holes over-which they were held.

The invention subject of this application for Letters Patent is an improvement on this form of poke ball, and its nature will be best appreciated from the following considerations.

In practice it has been found that the caps or covers which retain the balls in place, and which are secured loosely over the balls by two diametrically opposite bolts entering the top of the fire chamber, are apt to become tilted in use and bind the balls so as to interfere with the proper poking or stirring of the fuel bed. To

avoid this, I provide lugs or studs on opposite sides of the under surface of the caps or cover plates, which are filed off so as to lie normally just out of contact with the top surface of the firebox, and therefore do not impede the free movement of the ball, but which prevent the cap from being tilted to an extent that will wedge or look the ball against free movement in its seat.

. Again it has been found that the stirrer rods, when forced into and drawn out of the fuel bed by becoming coated with cinders or ash, have the abrasive properties of files, and when coming in contact with the metal edges of the poke holes, they not only deposit the ash thereon, but rapidly wear the metal away, which also requires frequent renewal or repair. To avoid this I design the openings through the fire brick around and under the poke holes, so that the stirrer rods contact with the brick before reaching the metal edges, and thus save the latter from wear and the accumulation of ash which results in the leakage into the fire-box of the air.

Finally, it has been usual to build within the fire-box a lining of fire-brick, which is built up in the general form of an arch immediately beneath the metal top of the box or casing. It has resulted from this that under extreme differences of temperature within the fire-box that the brick lining would rise or fall, crowding the metal top at one time or receding from it at another, with the result that the gas gained access to the metal producing deterioration by corrosion.

To avoid this I first line or cover the under surface of the fire-box with a relatively fine cement and against this coating or lining I secure firmly the fire-brick This I do by forming recesses in the adjacent faces of the brick in which lie washers or plates through which pass bolts extending up through channels in the upper portions of the brick and through the upper wall of the fire-box where they are surrounded by nuts and provided with any suitable means for drawing them up and thus binding the fire-bricks tightly against the cement-covered under surface of the metal casing. In this way the refractory lining and the metal wall are kept always in close contact and the access of gas to the metal is effectually prevented, l

These and other improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a poke ball and the parts of the fire-box in its immediate vicinit Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

I have not shown of the fire-box top any more than is necessary for an understanding of this improvement. It may be of any suitable construction and in its top 1 are a certain number of holes 2 through which pokers or stirrer rods are to be introduced. Each of these holes is closed by a perforated ball 3, of iron, steel, or other suitable material which is held in place over the hole by a cap 41. It is necessary that the ball be loosely held to permit it to be turned and the cap is therefore held in place by two diametrically opposite bolts 5 entering the top 1 and having proper nuts 6. Each ball 3 has a hole through it, and the poker or rod 7 is passed through this hole when it is needed for stirring the fuel-bed. It is manifest that since the ball is loose quite a large part of the bed may be reached by the rod, and that when the rod 7 is withdrawn the ball may be turned so as to close the hole 2.

At points on the under side of the saddle or cap 4, preferably at the three points indicated in Fig. 2, there are lugs or projections 8 of relatively small size. These are filed off so that when the ball isin place and the cap is in its proper position, the ends of such lugs lie just above or out of contact with the surface of the top 1. The purpose of these lugs has been set forth above.

In order to protect the edges of the holes 2 from being worn by the sliding rods 7, the refractory lining of the fire-box is so shaped about the openings which permit the passage of the said rods that the latter will come in contact with the divergingv walls of the lining before they can reach and touch the edges of the holes in the metal top 1.

In order to prevent access of gas to the metal top I first coat the under side with a layer of line cement 9. I then lnsertsuch of the refractory or fire-brick 1.0 as may be Y necessary with side recesses 11, and grooves 12, so that two adjacent bricks may be held up in close contact with the cement lining by bolts 13 having heads and passing up through the top 1. he bolts may be threaded and engage with corresponding threads in the holes 15 tapped in the top 1, and they are provided with block nuts 1 1. Any other means suitable for he purpose may, however, be used to draw the bolts up and bind the fire-bricks tightly against the cement coating on the top of the 1 erbox.

Tl e above described improvements have resulted from careful observation of the practical requirements in devices of this kind. They add very materially to the eficiency and value of the apparatus.

W' hat I claim is 1. In combination with a fire-box or chamber of a gas producer of the kind described and having holes in its top, of perforated metal poke balls covering said holes, caps securing the balls loosely in position and attached to the top of the fire-box by oppositely placedbolts, and lugs or. projections at points on the under side of said caps of a length slightly less than the dis tance between the cap and the top of the fire-box.

2. In the fire-box or chamber of a gas producer of'the kind described which has holes in its metal top. the combination of poke balls held loosely in position over said holes and a refractory lining for the fire-box with openings below the holes, said holes being of such form and dimensions that poker or stirrer rods introduced through the poke balls will, when in operation, come in contact with the walls of said holes in the refractory lining before touching the edges of the holes in the metal top.

In testimony whereof 1 hereto aflix my signature.

ALBERT L. eannsna. 

